The easy revision that powers up your fundraising story

Say your fundraising message includes the story of “Fred,” a person in need of help. So far, so good.

Then you transition from the story to a direct ask for a donation. Still good.

But that transition is like this:

Please send a donation today, so we can help people like Fred.

Whoops.

You just switched over to the wrong protagonist.

It’s tempting to do. Because that’s how the transaction may look to organization insiders: Donors give money, which we put to work doing our mission.

But the protagonist in every fundraising story should be the donor.

The entire enterprise of raising funds is a conversation with a potential donor. To be effective, you need to enter their world, their psychological space. In that world, your organization is external. You help donors accomplish something that matters to them.

It’s not a story about your organization; it’s a story about the donor. Put potential action in their hands. And the action isn’t just giving you money. It’s making a difference.

So you need to make a very simple revision to the transition statement:

Please donate to help people like Fred.

It’s a quick, easy revision.

But it makes all the difference.

More on Storytelling for Fundraisers.